tearful clarke hails magical victory
Darren Clarke holds the Ryder Cup aloft.
By PA Sport staff
An emotional Darren Clarke spoke of his happiness after helping Europe comfortably retain the Ryder Cup in Ireland on Sunday. Clarke, a wild-card pick little more than a month after his wife Heather died of cancer, beat Zach Johnson to put Europe 16-8 ahead. And, to the background of a rapturous reception at The K Club, he said: "This is as good as it gets - just fantastic. "Being part of this team has done a lot for me and for people who have shown how much they care about me and Heather. "There are too many memories for me to list but my team have been unbelievable all week, so have the American guys, their wives and the crowd - their support has been incredible. "It's been a difficult week but the moment I got here I was determined to get myself ready - and I did. "I was trying to keep my emotions in check all the way round, even when I got into a good lead." Clarke described Ian Woosnam as "a fantastic captain". He added: "He's been wonderfully supportive to me and all the team. Look at the scoreboard - that says everything about the captain."
